“Catch!” A pink and white polka dot apron was thrown to the brooding centaur.
“Why do I have to wear such a ridiculous thing?” he asked.
“So you don’t get dirty, silly!” the pink pony replied.
He groaned in displeasure before pulling the apron over his head and tying it to his torso’s waist. Pinkie Pie had already begun pulling out the ingredients and placing them on the counter. His eyes glimpsed over the cookbook that sat open on the table.
“We’re making a cake?” he asked, curious as to how it would help teach about friendship.
“That’s right. Somepony ordered one but Mr. and Mrs. Cake are having to go out of town later today, so they’ve asked if I could make it. We’re also watching the store for them,” she replied.
He hadn’t expected economics to be part of his reformation. Why am I helping run a store, he thought. Pinkie then shoved a bowl into his arms with a whisk. Slowly, he began to stir the ingredients together, a frown still on his face.
“Don’t be such a sourpuss! Turn that frown upside down, otherwise, you’ll make one sour cake!” Pinkie’s upbeat attitude was vastly different from Tirek’s. He had never seen somepony so energetic over baking a simple pastry. He tried to frown harder in an attempt to sour the cake, knowing full well it wouldn’t work. It only made his jaw sore.
“Pinkie Pie, if I could steal your magical essence right now, I would.” He continued to stir the batter, brooding all the while.
“I don’t doubt it!” she replied, turning on the oven to preheat. “Don’t worry, since you’re working here today, you’ll be able to taste some of the fabulous, fantastical treats! Nopony, no matter how evil, can withstand smiling while eating one of Sugar Cube Corner’s creations. I guarantee it!”
Tirek rolled his eyes, unimpressed with her boasting. “I still do not understand what this has to do with redeeming me. Isn’t there something you’re supposed to be doing?”
“I am doing what I’m supposed to be doing!” she replied, as she held the cake pan underneath Tirek’s bowl.
He slowly began to pour the batter into the pan. “I meant with me. Aren’t you going to teach me something?”
She let out a giggle with a snort, almost tipping over the pan in her hooves. “Teach you? You can’t teach someone to be a friend. It's gotta come natural!”
Tirek placed the empty bowl back onto the counter while Pinkie shoved in the pan and closed the oven. After setting the timer, she turned and faced him. He crossed his arms while looking away, not wanting to lock eyes with the strange, pink pony in front of him. All of a sudden, a loud gasp came from the mare, startling Tirek. “What’s wrong now?” he asked.
“You and Sombra haven’t gotten a party yet!”
“A… party?”
Pinkie jumped and grabbed Tirek by the face, pulling him down to her level. She held on as tight as she could, the centaur was unable to struggle from her earthen pony grasp. “Pinkie. Let me go,” he asked, his cheeks still smooshed together.
“What’s the magic word?” she replied.
“I’m going to steal your magic.”
“Nooooo. That’s not it.”
He rolled his eyes before speaking. “Please let me go.”
She immediately released her grip and he flung backward, almost smacking his head into a cabinet. “Just imagine a fabulous party! A villain party! I’ve never done one of those before. Though, Twilight will probably have me wait for you two to become good first. That could take a whole year!” Pinkie Pie rambled on for a few minutes as Tirek rubbed the creases from his apron.
This is almost worse than Tartarus itself, he thought. She finally stopped chattering once the bell rang at the front of the store.
“Coming!” she called out. “If the timer goes off while I’m not in here, please take the cake out of the oven.” Pinkie then wandered out of the kitchen, leaving the centaur to mope alone.
Tirek let out a heavy sigh, relieved to finally have a moment’s peace. It was only for a moment, though, as he overheard the pink, poufy-haired pony talking to a customer. He couldn’t deny his curiosity. Sliding his body against the wall, he carefully listened in from the doorway.
“You’re looking lovely as usual today, Pinkie,” said the voice of a stallion.
“Such a charmer. Sometimes I wonder if you come here just to see me,” she replied.
They both laughed and then the stallion said, “Of course, the cupcakes are just a bonus.”
Pinkie giggled some more. “Oh right, your order. Tirek!” she yelled. “Could you bring a box in here?”
Tirek panicked, thinking his eavesdropping had been uncovered. He quickly looked around the room, eventually noticing the small, white box that sat upon the wooden kitchen table. Grabbing the container, he quickly walked through the doorway.
“Tirek? Where have I heard that name before?” asked the stallion. As Tirek walked into the room, the stallion immediately went pale, losing almost all the blue in his face. “L-Lord T-T-Tirek, the evil centaur!?”
“Yeah, my friends and I are reforming him along with King Sombra. Isn’t that wonderful?” Pinkie asked, smiling all the while.
“Reforming?” Sweat dripped down the stallion’s face as Tirek placed the box onto the counter. Tirek stared at the blue stallion, noticing the unicorn horn surrounded by a white, fluffy mane. The stallion quickly threw a bag of bits onto the counter and then grabbed the box with his magic. “T-Thank you Pinkie Pie, see you later!” he yelled tentatively, rushing as fast as he could out of the store.
“Huh. Wonder what got into him.” Pinkie shrugged as she opened the bag of bits.
Tirek began to remove the apron, replying to her rhetorical question, “Yes, I wonder what it was.”
Pinkie spread the money around the counter before placing some back into the small sack. “Royal was in such a rush, he didn’t even count his money. Would you mind tracking him down and giving it back real quick?” She handed him the sack of coins as the sound of the timer came from the kitchen, to which she immediately headed for.
He was unsure if rushing after a unicorn would be a smart decision, but he did as he was told, hoping it would pay off in the end. As he exited, he saw the blue unicorn in the distance. Royal Pin was catching his breath after running so fast. Tirek swiftly, but cautiously, approached the unicorn from behind. Upon drawing closer to the pony, Tirek saw him place the box directly into a trash can. He was so bewildered he thought to call it off, but decided against it.
“Excuse me,” said Tirek.
The stallion gasped in freight upon hearing the voice. He slowly turned around, his eyes seemed to have sunken in as he caught sight of the centaur.
Tirek eyed the pony up and down, curious as to why he would throw away the box he had just purchased. “You forgot your change,” he said. As much as he wanted to scare the stallion, he also knew Twilight would hear of it, damaging his standing with her.
“K-Keep it,” the unicorn replied, backing away slowly and eventually turning to run.
With a shrug, Tirek returned to Sugar Cube Corner. He placed the sack back upon the counter and entered the kitchen. Pinkie had already taken out the cake and had begun frosting the top. “He told me to keep it. I’ve placed it on your counter,” he said, annoyance in his tone.
“Really?” she replied. “Royal’s so nice.”
“Yes, he also threw away the box of whatever he bought.” Tirek had thought mentioning this would hurt the pink pony's feelings, possibly damaging a friendship she had or demoralizing her work. Something to make it worth it.
“Well, duh. He always does that. I mean, he hates lemon meringue cupcakes. I wish he would buy something else, something that he actually likes.” Pinkie Pie already knew all about it. Tirek was taken aback by this revelation, making him only more curious as to why the stallion would throw it away.
“I don’t understand. Why does he come here to buy something just to throw it in the garbage? Do you not hate him for being so wasteful?” Tirek asked, a bit confused with her answer.
Pinkie opened the oven door, humming all the while. “It’s pretty silly, but he comes in for me, not the food.”
“Alright, now you’ve lost me.”
With a giggle, she placed another cake pan inside the oven. “He hasn’t quite worked up the courage to ask me out, so every few days he comes in to chat and flirt. One day, I hope he finally asks me, or at least buys something he likes.”
“He pays to speak to you!?” Tirek replied, astonished by her remark. “Is he insane?”
“Sometimes I give him something extra to look at while he pays.” She closed the oven, and then wiggled her rump at Tirek, swishing her tail back and forth.
He covered his mouth, unsure if he should watch or look away. “You ponies are all crazy. That has to be it.”
“And this is just your first day!” she replied, snorting and giggling.
“Can I just get a ride back to Tartarus now? Maybe a teleport? Honestly, at this point, I’ll just walk back.”
Pinkie Pie shook her head. “No silly, we’ve still got cookies to bake!”
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Manual labor?” Sombra asked, grimacing at the idea. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Don’t tell me you’re another Rarity. Afraid yah might get messy hooves?” Applejack teased.
His nostrils flared, already upset with the smell of the orchard. “I am royalty, I should not be forced to participate in peasant work.” The sun beat down between the trees, Sombra could barely stand the summer heat.
Applejack bucked a tree, apples falling into the buckets. “Yeah? If you’re so royal, where’s your crown? Kingdom?” she asked, wiping the sweat from her brow, a smug grin on her face.
“I know you’re just trying to get a rise out of me,” he said, “and it’s working.”
“Good. Put that anger to some use and start buckin’ these trees, or use your fancy magic, I don’t care which,” she replied.
Sombra began to levitate the apples down into the buckets, not really caring that the amounts were uneven, or if a few fell out onto the ground. “I really don’t understand how this is supposed to reform me.”
“Well, I am the Element of Honest, so I can’t lie to yah. I’m not really sure how it’ll help either, but I can always use an extra hoof with harvestin’,” she replied. "I'm just supposed to watch you, make sure you stay out of trouble."
Once he heard those words, he released his magic, causing all the apples to plummet from his grasp. “You mean to tell me this has no consequence on my reformation? What’s the point?” he growled.
“The point? Buckin’ apples is the way I provide for my family. That’s how we keep things runnin’ around here.”
“I meant, what’s the point of me helping?” he shouted, becoming angrier with each of the country mare’s responses.
“Like I said, I can always use an extra hoof.” Applejack had stopped bucking the trees altogether, just to answer his questions. “Can we get back to it now?”
“This is exactly why a stallion should be in charge,” he spouted, anger seething and boiling over, clouding his judgement.
Applejack raised an eyebrow, a bit annoyed with his tone. “Pardon?”
“You heard me!” he snarled at Applejack.
“Sombra, you do realize our leaders are all princesses’ right? The highest of positions in all of Equestria, held by mares. I mean, there are a few princes, but from what Rarity has told me they ain’t too friendly,” she said. Applejack began digging into one of the buckets of apples, searching for one specific.
“It’s completely aggravating! You mares believe yourselves to be high and mighty, yet here you are, doing something a stallion should be doing. It’s as if none of you know your place.” He sat down, refusing to move or lend a helping hoof any longer.
“Yeah, and yet here you are, not doing anythin’ to help like the supposed stallion you are,” she replied, pulling a bright, shiny, red apple out of the bucket. “Let me ask you a question.”
With a roll of his eyes, he said, “Oh, this’ll be good. Go ahead, ask your question, peasant.”
She raised up the apple to his eye level. “Want an apple?” she asked.
“Are you trying to persuade me with a peace offering?”
Applejack took a bite out of the apple while holding another. “What's the difference in these apples?" she asked with her mouth full. "I'll answer that. Nothin', they were both picked by me while you sat around bein' a lazy bum."
“Unbelievable!” he shouted in anger, standing up from the grass. “You dare insult King Sombra!?”
She took another bite out of the apple. “I thought you weren’t a king,” she said, apple juice leaking from her lips.
“I… I…” Failing to come up with a response, he roared in anger, causing nearby birds to fly away. With the roar came black crystals, rising from the ground and spiking out of trees.
“Seriously? Not even past the first day and you’re already crawlin’ back to being evil? Calm down before you do somethin’ you regret,” she yelled, throwing the half-eaten apple to the wayside.
Sombra turned to Applejack, his eyes flashing with green and purple. “You want me to be evil? Let me show you what I can do, you earth pony wretch!”
A flash of light blinded the apple-loving pony. When she was able to see again, she found herself inside Rarity’s shop, the Carousel Boutique. The day had turned to night, darkening the abode and limiting her vision. A chill swept through her and the entire store seemed to be frozen. She could even see her breath as she breathed in and out.
“How’d I get here? Sombra, what did you do?” she called out, attempting to look around the home of her friend.
Dimly lit candles were all that remained, barely lighting her way in the dark dwelling and producing no heat. “Rarity? You here?” She could hear talking coming from one of the rooms. The sounds of giggling and laughing echoed against the decorative walls. Once she got closer, Applejack could hear the voices of Rarity and Spike.
When she popped her head through the open door, she saw the two, locking lips with one another. “Ra-Rarity? S-Spike?” Her voice quavering heavily.
The two pulled their heads away from each other to look at the interrupting nuisance. “I’m sorry, who are you? The shop is closed for the night,” Rarity said.
“Should I get rid of her, my love?” asked Spike.
“What’re y’all talkin’ about? It’s me, Applejack.” She pushed open the door, forcing a phony smile to her face as well. “When did you two, y’know, get together? Not that, I mean, well...” A gust of wind blew from behind, cutting her words from her mouth.
The dragon and unicorn began to kiss once more, ignoring Applejack all together, no matter how hard she yelled. That’s when another voice came from behind the upset mare. “Applejack? Why did you let us down?”
Once Applejack turned around, she saw Granny Smith and Big Mac standing there, frowns bulging on their muzzles.
“L-Let you down?” Applejack asked nervously, regaining her voice. “What d-do you mean?” The room spiraled, twirling around her and shifting to Sweet Apple Acres. The full moon, high in the sky, shined down on the dead plantation. Tears began to run down the earth ponies face as she looked up at the barren trees, void of apples and leaves. The entire field covered in crystals and icicles, glowing from the blue of the moon. She fell to the ground, covering her face by pulling down her hat. “No! I don’t believe it! It’s not true!”
She began to feel heat beating down, sweat dripping down the top of her nose. After opening her eyes, still squinting with tears, she saw the bright, green grass underneath her once more. Her mind snapped back to reality, finally hearing the laughter coming from the dark unicorn who stood in front of her, overjoyed with the pain he had caused. It had been a trick, and she fell for it. Humiliation swept over her like ocean waves. She quickly rose to her hooves, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Sombra simply continued to laugh, he expected to see her run in fear of him.
What he had not expected, was for Applejack to reel back a hoof, and hit him as hard as she could in the face. He fell to the ground, sliding on his side. When he looked back at the earth pony, he saw the tears still streaming down her cheeks. “You’ve just bought yourself a ticket to Tartarus,” she said, pure rage in her tone.
Sombra had not thought through his actions. He was fueled by his anger, simply wishing to cause harm. From her words and tears, he knew she was right. He had to act fast in order to salvage what he could. Failing the bet, failing to reform, these were not options he desired. His first thought was to control her mind, but the idea of another strike to the face was a good deterrent. “Woah, alright hold on,” he replied, standing to his hooves and wincing in pain. “It was just a joke, you mares love to joke. Isn’t that what friendship is all about?” he joked, trying to worm his way back to good graces.
“You wouldn’t know the first thing about friendship if it jumped out and bit you on the horn. Friends don’t do, whatever you just did, to friends.”
“Listen, I’m sorry, let’s go back to bucking apples,” he replied. “I know you enjoy doing that.”
“No. I have to go and explain what happened to Twilight,” she said, as she began to walk away.
To Sombra, the idea of begging seemed like a peasant’s device, but there was little choice. He rushed up and laid before her, pleading, “Please, I’m sorry. Don’t tell Twilight, I can’t fail to reform! I do not wish to be sent to Tartarus!”
The sudden change in tone from the former king gave a few red flags to Applejack. Why was he so persistent on becoming reformed, she thought. He began to bow to Applejack, lowering his head to the ground. This was the exact opposite of how Discord had acted. Sombra seemed intent on reforming, and she was willing to see what made him so determined.
“Fine. I won’t tell Twilight on two conditions,” she demanded.
Sombra looked up and replied, “Anything. You name it.”
“First, stop your mare hatin’. It ain’t attractive to anypony, and you sure won’t win Twilight with that attitude.”
“Done,” he replied without hesitation. “And the second?”
“You have to tell her whatcha did.”
“What!?” he exclaimed, raising his head in astonishment.
“Either you tell her, or I tell her. And I can guarantee, I won’t be so friendly about it,” she replied, a stomp of her hoof signified she was serious.
He nervously looked at the ground, weighing his options carefully. “If I tell her, she’ll send me to Tartarus for sure.”
“If you’re honest, and truly sorry, then she may not. It won’t help your standing with her, but being truthful and owning up to your mistakes is what makes good ponies, well, good,” she explained. “You are sorry, right?”
“Yes, of course!” he replied. Sombra was willing to say anything in order to stay, Applejack knew that. If he was going to plead, he’d have to believe it himself.
She sighed. The dark look in his eyes made her feel uneasy, she could not fully believe his words, but was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Alright, let’s head over to Twilight's and get this over with.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Is this how you’re going to spend the day? Reading?” Discord asked.
“This is what I do in my off time, Discord. If you plan on becoming my partner, then you’ll have to get used to it."
“But what am I supposed to do while you study? You asked me to be by your side today, and yet you’re being the most boring side of a square I’ve ever seen.” He snapped his fingers, a cube formed in his hand with Twilight’s face on it. She looked up at him, giving a disapproving glare before returning to her studies. Discord tossed the cube and crossed his arms. “Don’t be such a stick in the mud.” He began to snap his fingers, only to have Twilight yell before he could.
“If you turn me into a literal stick in the mud, I will send you to Tartarus myself.”
He pouted, crossing his arms once more. “Well, you are.”
Twilight sighed, finally giving him a hint after the hours of incessant complaining. “Gee, it’s as if this is some sort of test to try and come up with something that could pry me away from my studies. Maybe build an actual close friendship that could lead to something more. No, it couldn't be that simple, could it?”
“Pry you away?” He contemplated, tapping his chin as he put some thought into his next move.
“Take your time.” Twilight waved a hoof in the air before turning a page with her magic.
Discord looked around at the library shelves that surrounded them. He then yelled, “I’ve got it!” A crowbar appeared in his hand, to which he then placed underneath Twilight, literally prying her up from the table.
“What’s the meaning of this!?” she yelled as she rose up in the air, trying to get away from the metal tool.
“What’s your favorite storybook from your foalhood?” Discord asked, ignoring her question altogether.
She looked at him, curious as to what would prompt that inquiry. “The Superb Sorceress of Oys. The mare behind the curtain always reminded me of the old tales about Star Swirl the Bearded,” she replied as she glided back to the floor in front of him. "Now what's the meaning of this, Discord?"
He snapped his fingers and books began flying off the shelves, forming small walls. A green, newer looking book flew into his hand. Twilight watched as a blanket appeared over the piles, creating a roof over the literary walls.
“Would you like to come into my book castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle? I’ve never had a book read to me.” He raised up the book in his hands, showing the title to Twilight.
With a smile, she replied, “You want me to read to you? That’s a strange request.” She levitated the book out of his hands as she walked over to the newly formed fortress. After looking at the cover, she became giddy.
Discord lifted the sheet up, allowing the two to enter. It didn’t look like much from the outside, but to Twilight’s surprise, the cloth ceiling was lit up like the night sky. Thousands of star-like dots shined over her head.
“This is beautiful, Discord,” she said, staring up at the illusionary sky. While gawking, she failed to watch where she had been stepping, tripping over a plush cushion.
The draconequus cheered to himself, knowing he had made the right decision. It took him a second to notice that Twilight had landed flat on her face, to which he chuckled to himself. “Are you… alright?” he asked, trying to sound concerned over the laughter.
Twilight sat down on the cushion she had tripped over, rubbing her scowled face. “I’ll be fine. Let’s get started, shall we?” She lifted up the book, opening it to the first page. Discord sat across from her, a bag of popcorn appearing in his hand.
“I’m all ears!” he replied, ears magically sprouting on him, eventually disappearing.
“Okay,” she said, gathering her thoughts before beginning. “Daisy lived in the heart of the San Palomino Desert, with Uncle Rusty, who was a farmer, and Aunt Gleam, who was…”
The two sat in the book castle for many hours as Twilight read to the draconequus. Discord enjoyed the ups and downs the story had to offer, though he had no desire to read it himself. Twilight added the effects and silly voices, making it come alive, and far more enjoyable than he had first anticipated it could be.
So this is why she reads all the time, he thought. I had no idea she was so interesting.
“And you were there, and you, and you. The end.” Twilight finished with a close of the book.
“Wait, that’s how it ends? It was just a dream?” Discord exclaimed, upset by what he believed to be a lackluster ending.
Twilight nodded. “Yep, it turns out she had everything she wanted. A family who loved her and good friends. What more could one ask for?”
“She could have asked for ultimate power! Though, if it was a dream then I suppose the sorceress wasn’t even real.” He placed a hand over his mouth, still contemplating the ending.
“It’s actually funny. When I was a filly, I had friends but I focused more on my studies. It wasn’t until coming to Ponyville that I learned what friendship was about. Looking back now, I have to laugh since I really didn’t get the moral of the story back then. I guess that's supposed to be ironic.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “I don’t suppose you have another favorite that doesn’t end in such a travesty.”
She giggled and said, “Discord, you mean to tell me you’re actually enjoying this?”
For a moment, Twilight could see Discord blushing. He quickly turned his head away from her view. “Well, I suppose you did make it far more enjoyable than trying to stomach it alone.”
“I enjoyed it too,” she replied.
With those words, Discord turned back to look at her, still blushing. He is blushing, I knew it, she thought. Her smile only made him smile, contagious as it was.
“So, I guess I earned those points?” he asked.
“I’d say so, Discord. Though, it’s almost as if you’re supposed to become close friends with somepony before you date them, instead of entering into a silly bet. Imagine that silly idea,” Twilight replied, her face was just as flushed as his.
“Ahem.” A voice could be heard on the outside of the sheet. “I can’t really knock anywhere.”
Twilight levitated the cloth up from the entrance, looking to see who was there. “Oh, it’s you, Spike.”
“What are you two doing in there?” he asked, scratching the scales on his cheek.
The two were still blushing profusely. They looked to each other, and then back to Spike. “Reading!” they yelled in unison.
Spike raised an eyebrow, not really understanding the sheet, the book, or their blushing. “Well, Sombra and Applejack are waiting for you in the foyer, Twilight. Apparently, something bad happened.”
The alicorn got up from her seat and turned to Discord. “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere. I have another one that you’ll really enjoy.”
He nodded as she walked off. Spike stood by, staring at him with a curious look. “What?” Discord asked with a defensive tone.
“Why were you guys sitting in a book fort?”
“Nothing! We were just reading! Well, she was reading to me, that is.” Discord quickly responded with a tremulous voice. He reached for the book they had been reading and showed it to the purple dragon.
“Oh, this is Twilight’s favorite. I remember her mom reading it to both of us when I was little, she used to do all the voices and sound effects. When did she find a replacement?” Spike flipped through the pages.
“A replacement of what?” Discord asked.
Spike then closed the book and tossed it back to Discord. “Her original copy was destroyed when Tirek blew up the Golden Oak. She had it since she was a filly and brought it to Ponyville when she moved. Anyway, have fun I guess,” he replied before walking away from the literary hovel.
Discord held the novel, staring woefully at the golden lettering of the book’s title. He felt the rough cover with his paw, the corners still sharp from the lack of use. Opening up the pages sent a strong smell of fresh paper into his nostrils.
Flipping back to the front of the book, he found a note written on the inside of the hardcover. He began to read it aloud. “Twilight, don’t think of this as a replacement for a book long lost. Think of it as a reminder, of all the memories we shared reading it together. You’ll always be my little filly. Love, Your Mother.”
Once he finished reading, a fake cough caused him to look up from the book. Twilight had been standing at the entrance with glistening eyes, smiling at the draconequus. He had been frowning, but her smile was infectious, he could not resist smiling back.